Mother’s Day Through The Eyes of Mary

Mother's Day originated in the United States, primarily through the efforts of Anna Jarvis, who held the first official celebration in 1908 to honor her late mother. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill designating the second Sunday in May as a legal holiday to be called “Mother’s Day”—dedicated “to the best mother in the world, your mother.”

What you probably aren’t aware of is this same woman, Anna Jarvis lobbied Congress to eliminate Mother’s Day from being a legal holiday due to the commercialization of the day. Mother’s Day is big business. US News reports, “Americans are expected to spend more than $34 billion on Mother’s Day this year, with average spending reaching $259 per person – the second-highest total in nearly two decades.” The article went on to report “Flowers are the most popular gift category that consumers are expected to buy this holiday, with 74% purchasing flowers and estimated total spending reaching $3.2 billion. Greeting cards were the second most popular category, at 73%.”